Fast Facts

A little background on El Salvador, provided by our hosts:

El Salvador is one of the smallest countries in the region. It is bordered by Guatemala to the west, Honduras to the north and east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Albeit a small country, there are many landscapes to see and interesting people to meet. Ever since its civil war ended in 1992, El Salvador has been working to rebuild and redefine itself, looking hopefully towards the future.

Weather:
Daytime temperatures will vary very little, reaching around 30°C (86°F) in November and 34°C (93°F) in March and April. The coastal lowlands are much hotter than the rest of the country. Since San Salvador is 680m (2230ft) above sea level, it has a moderate climate compared to other parts of the country, but it is still humid and hot. El Salvador’s climate is comprised only by a wet season and a dry season. During the wet season (from May to October) it will generally rain during the afternoons and evenings. Between November and April, the country is dry and dusty. Despite this, it could rain at any time of the year.

Fun facts:
-Before the colony, the indigenous people called our country “Cuscatlan” which means “Jewerly or necklaces’ lands” in Nawat language
-El Salvador’s population density (112hab/mi2) is the highest of all the Americas
-Since 2001 our currency changed to the US Dollar, and prior to that, El Salvador’s national currency was the Colon
-The name of the country comes from the old province’s Saint Patron, “Jesus Christ The Savior of the World” after the Belgrade defeat of the Muslims by Mahomet III in 1456
-El Salvador became an independent province starting in 1821, but turned into a sovereign State in 1841
-El Salvador has more dog people than cat people (This will answer the common question “where are all the cats?”)
-The country is divided in 14 departments, and 262 municipalities
-90% of the Salvadoran population are mestizo (white-indigenous mix)
-One out of three Salvadorans lives abroad